Ammunition-loading apparatus.



J. P. MEIGS R. P. STOUT. AMMUNITION LOADING APPARATUS.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 26, 1908.

Patented Feb. 20, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1,

EULUMHIA PLANOGRAPH CU.,\\'AS)IINGTON, u. c.

J. F. MEIGS & R. P. STOUT.

AMMUNITION LOADING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 26, 1908.

Patented Feb. 20, 1912.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

J. P. MEIGS & R. P. STOUT.

AMMUNITION LOADING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 26, 1908.

Patented Feb. 20, 1912.

3 SHBETSSHEET 3.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH $0.. WASHINGTON. D. cv

JOHN F. MEIGS AND ROBERT P. STOUT, OF SOUTH BETHLEHEM, PENNSYLVANIA,

ASSIG-NORS TO BETHLEHEM STEEL COMPANY, OF SOUTH BETHLEHEM, PENNSYL-VANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

AMMUNITION-LOADING APPARATUS.

T 0 all whom it may concern.

Be it known that we, JOHN F. MEIGS and ROBERT P. STOUT, citizens of theUnited States, and residents of South Bethlehem, Northampton county,State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Ammunition-Loading Apparatus, of which the following is aspecification.

The object of the present invention is to provide apparatus which willinsure greater safety in the handling of ammunition, and especially insupplying ammunition to guns mounted on naval vessels.

The invention may be used in connection with the handling of powdercharges generally, and the broader claims hereinafter presented areintended to cover such general use as well as the specific embodimentsherein described for the purpose of illustration.

In carrying out the invention, we provide means to spray the packages ofpowder or other explosive material with water or some equivalentsubstance which will so affect the covering or coating of the explosiveas to prevent ready ignition and thus obviate the possibility ofaccidental explosions from brief contact with sparks or flame, such asmay sometimes occur, for instance, in the turret of a vessel.

The invention will be described in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a sectional view through the ammunition handling room of anaval vessel and the lower portion of the trunk in which an ammunitionhoist works; Fig. 2 is a side view of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1;Fig. 3 is a view of one of the sprinkling tubes; Fig. 4: is a side viewpartly in section of a charge of explosive material adapted for use withour apparatus; Fig. 5 is an end view of the same; Figs. 6 and 7 aresectional views showing in detail the manner of applying the fluid tothe ammunition packages; Fig. 8 illustrates a section of the lowerportion of a turret showing our invention applied in connection with themeans for transferring ammunition from the lower elevator to the upperelevator in what is termed a broken ammunition hoist;

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 26, 1908.

Patented Feb. 20, 1912.

Serial No. 435,111.

Fig. 8 is a plan view of the valve wheel or handle shown in Fig. 8 drawnto an enlarged scale; Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 8, illustratinganother form of the invention.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, 11 indicates an ammunition hoisting carwhich is adapted to travel on rails or guides 12, 13, in a laterallyclosed trunk 14. The car and trunk illustrated may be of the kindcommonly used in turret ammunition hoists in which case the trunk wouldbe connected to rotate with the turret and provided with a floor 15supported by rollers 16 on a curved track 17. The space 18 surroundingthe trunk is usually termed the handling room or ammunition room and itis separated from the turret by suitable walls and floors, the onlymeans of communication being the openings through which the ammunitionis passed into the trunk, which openings should be normally closed.

In Figs. 1 and 2 we have shown perforated annular pipes 19, adjacent toopenings 20 in the wall 1 1 of the trunk through which the powdercharges 21 are passed from trays or shelves 22 in the handling room. Asshown in Fig. 2 there is a third opening 23, for the projectile, whichopening need not be provided with sprinkling means. The annular pipes 19are provided with a series of suitable openings 24 directed inward andpreferably at an angle to the plane of the ring, as shown in Figs. 3, 6and 7, and they are supplied with water or other suitable fluid througha pipe 25. It will be readily seen that the powder charges will be sprinkled as they are passed into the car, if fluid under pressure he turnedinto the pipe 25. In the preferred form of our invention the fluid issupplied under pressure constantly and automatic means are provided forturning it on temporarily when a package or sack of ammunition ispassing the perforated ring and turning it off automatically when thepackage has passed the ring. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the pipe 25 isprovided with a valve 26 of any suitable design which may be opened andclosed by an arm 27. The arm 27 is arranged in the path of the powdercharges passing over the shelf or tray 2 so that when a charge ofcontrolled by a suitable valve 26.

powder is pushed into the car from the tray, it will open the valve andhold it open when the powder is passing the corresponding sprinklingring 19. The spring 28 is preferably so connected with the arm 27 thatit. will automatically close the valve 26 as soon as the powder charge21 has passed the ring 19. The fluid may be sprayed directly on thecovering of the powder charge, as illustrated in Fig. 6, or upon a ringof felt or other absorbent material 29 which projects into the path ofthe powder charge, as illustrated in Fig. 7. The latter arrangement ispreferred as the ring 29'will tend to spread the fluid evenly over thepowder package and wipe off any surplus fluid.

It will be evident that the sprinkling apparatus illustrated in Figs. 1,2 and 3 are applicable to either a single or double hoist, or to anyother ammunition handling means.

The size of the pipes and of the discharge openings, and the amount ofpressure in the pipes, may be so regulated that only sufficient fluidwill be discharged to properly moisten the powder packages. The fluid ispreferably turned on just before the package reaches the sprinklingring, so that the forward end of the package will be moistened as itpasses the ring.

As shown in Figs. a and 5, we preferably protect the priming charge 30by inclosing it in a cover or casing 31 of oiled silk or other waterproof or semi-water proof material.

In Figs. 8 and 8 the invention is illustrated as applied to the transferchamber of a double or broken hoist. Referring to these figures, 32indicates the wall or trunk in which the lower hoist works for conveyingthe ammunition from the handling room below to the transfer chamber 33at the upper end of the trunk. The trunk and transfer chamber arecarried by the turret, of which the wall or lower portion 3a is shown insection in Fig. 8. An upper hoist car 35 travels on rails or guides 36,37, from the transfer chamber to the breech of the gun, in the usualmanner. The car is illustrated at the lower station with its openings inline with delivery tubes 38 connected with the transfer chamber 33 andsurrounding these tubes at their outer ends are sprinkling rings 19similar to those shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 and they are similarlysupplied by a pipe 25 carrying fluid under pressure, and The valve 26 isopened and closed by the movement of the rammer 39 which transfers thepowder charges through the tubes 38 from the transfer chamber to thecar. Any convenient means may be used to operate the valve by themovement of the rammer. As shown, the projections 41, 42, are in theform of pivoted arms adapted to swing freely in one direction but notadapted to yield in the opposite direction. As the rammer is movedforward the projection 41 turns the star wheel 40 opening the valve 26which remains open until the projection 42 gives the star wheel afurther turn in the same direction, closing the valve. O n account ofthe pivotal connection of the projections 41, 42, they have no effect onthe valve when the rammer is moved rearward and hence the valve remainsclosed until the rammer is again moved forward. In this way the chargesof ammunition are sprinkled as they are moved from the transfer chamberto the car and the water or fluid is cut off at all other times.

The apparatus shown in Fig. 9 may be in all respects the same as thatshown in Fig. 8, with the single exception that the sprinkling rings 19are mounted on the car 35 and movable with it, instead of being mountedon the transfer chamber. To supply the fluid a flexible tube or hose 25connects the supply pipe 25 with the sprinkling rings.

It will be evident that our invention may be applied to various kinds ofmechanism for conveying ammunition in many diflerent ways and that thefluid may be turned on and off either automatically or by hand, theformer being of course preferred. It is to be understood, therefore,that the invention is not limited to the several forms hereinillustrated and described.

WVhat we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,

1. The combination with ammunition conveying mechanism, of means formoistening the surface of the ammunition, devices operable inconjunction with said mechanism for turning on and cutting off thesupply of fluid to said moistening means, and means for spreading thefluid evenly over the ammunition.

2. The combination with ammunition conveying mechanism, of means formoistening the surface of the ammunition, and automatic devices forturning on and cutting off the supply of fluid to the moistening means.

3. The combination with ammunition conveying mechanism, of a sprinklingring through which the ammunition must pass, means for supplying a fluidto said sprinkling ring, and means for spreading the fluid over theammunition.

4. The combination with ammunition conveying mechanism, of a sprinklingring through which the ammunition must pass, and means adapted andarranged to beoperated by the moving ammunition for automaticallycontrolling the supply of fluid to said sprinkling ring.

5. The combination with ammunition conveying mechanism of a sprinklingring through which the ammunition passes and which is adapted to moistenthe surface of i the ammunition in passing, and means for Wiping offsurplus fluid from the ammunition.

6. The combination with ammunition conveying mechanism, of a sprinklingring through which the ammunitionasses and which is adapted to moistenthe surface of the ammunition in passing, and automatic means forsupplying fluid to said sprinkling ring while the ammunition is passingthrough it, said fluid being cut off at other times.

7. The combination with ammunition conveying mechanism, of a sprinklingring connected with a source of fluid supply, a valve controlling saidsupply, and automatic means for opening said valve as a charge ofammunition is passed through said ring and closing the valv after theammunition has passed.

8. The combination with ammunition conveying mechanism of a sprinklerfor moistening the ammunition, means for supply ing fluid to saidsprinkler, a valve controlling the said supply, and means controlled bythe movement of the ammunition for opening and closing said valves.

9. The combination with ammunition hoisting mechanism including ahoisting car, of means operable in conjunction with said mechanism forsprinkling ammunition while in transit to said car, and means for wipingsurplus fluid from the ammunition.

10. The combination with ammunition hoisting mechanism including ahoisting car, of means for sprinkling ammunition while in transit tosaid car, said means being automatically controlled by the ammunitionmoving means.

11. The combination with ammunition hoisting mechanism including ahoisting car, of a rammer for moving the ammunition onto said car, asprinkler for moistening the ammunition, and a valve for controlling thesupply of fluid to said sprinkler, said valve being operated by therammer.

12. The combination with ammunition hoist-ing mechanism including ahoisting car, of a rammer for moving the ammunition onto said car, asprinkler for moistening the ammunition, and a valve for controlling thesupply of fluid to said sprinkler, said valve being automatically openedby the forward movement of the rammer.

13. The combination with ammunition hoisting mechanism including ahoisting car, of a rammer for moving the ammunition onto said car, asprinkler for moistening the ammunition, and a valve for controlling thesupply of fluid to said sprinkler, said valve being automatically openedas the rammer begins its forward movement and automatically closed asthe rammer completes its forward movement.

In testimony whereof we afix our signatures in presence of twowitnesses.

JOHN F. MEIGS. ROBERT P. STOUT. Witnesses:

EDWIN A. MILLER, FRANK I. GRIM.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

